


Now That I Know

by myemergence



Series: Buddie First Kiss Week 2020 [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Buddie First Kiss Week 2020, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:01:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24487870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myemergence/pseuds/myemergence
Summary: Buck loves living in L.A.Experiencing Pride in L.A. sets his love of the city to a different spectrum. The bright colors of the LGBT flag bring a genuine smile. Colors that represent love, change, hope, growth, and acceptance. The Pride parade is a place where he doesn’t have to explain himself, a place where he doesn’t have to try so hard, a place where he can just be Buck, without consideration of his sexuality.Getting to experience his favorite event of the year with Eddie for the first time? Buck thinks he’s soaring.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Buddie First Kiss Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769923
Comments: 27
Kudos: 229





	Now That I Know

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Nicole for the beta, and to Jessica for helping me with the title. Enjoy!

Buck loves living in L.A.

Experiencing Pride in L.A. sets his love of the city to a different spectrum. The bright colors of the LGBT flag bring a genuine smile. Colors that represent love, change, hope, growth, and acceptance. The Pride parade is a place where he doesn’t have to explain himself, a place where he doesn’t have to try so hard, a place where he can just  _ be _ Buck, without consideration of his sexuality. 

Getting to experience his favorite event of the year with Eddie for the first time? Buck thinks he’s soaring.

_ Pride never stops. Pride never stops. Pride never stops. _

The chant sends a warm feeling through his chest as Eddie walks at Buck’s side towards where they’re meeting the rest of the 118 family.

Eddie is sometimes a little  _ rigid _ and serious, so the fact that he’s willing to step outside of his comfort zone to experience something this important to Buck hasn’t gone unrecognized. There’s a megawatt grin on Buck’s face, easily lighting up the currently rainbow clad streets. Buck’s gone all out, head to toe in bright colors that scream Pride. Because Buck  _ is _ proud.

Buck grins, trying to read Eddie’s expression whose eyes scan over the crowds. He’s carefully taking in the parade— the brightly colored floats, the people dancing in the streets, the Pride Over Prejudice signs. “So, what do you think?”

“It’s…” Eddie trails off as he looks around them, quite possibly searching for the all-encompassing words to sum it up. Eddie continues to observe Pride and instead of looking at Buck, he drops his gaze to the ground. It’s only for a moment, and Eddie rubs a hand over the back of his neck with his eyes fixed on the ground. Eddie clears his throat before his eyes finally find Buck’s again, his voice is softer than usual, “it’s incredible, Buck.”

“Oh, look! Here they are!” Buck bounces along, waving his flag as they join their friends. “Hen! Karen!” In an instant, Buck is swooping into their space and giving them hugs.

“Hey Cap, Athena.” Eddie nods with an easy smile. Chim and Maddie arrive only a few minutes later. Buck notices that they’re standing only about a dozen feet away from a large rainbow balloon arch.

“We need pictures to commemorate everyone coming today, instead of me being Hen and Karen’s third wheel for the second year in a row,” Buck laughs. Buck feels Eddie’s eyes on him and resists the urge to raise his brow at Eddie. “C’mon man.”

“Alright, let’s do this,” Eddie says after a minute, shoving his hands into the front pocket of the black hoodie that he’s wearing.

“Aren’t you sweating? It’s June and you’re wearing a hooded sweatshirt. A  _ black _ hooded sweatshirt,” Buck says.

There’s a moment where Buck doesn’t think that Eddie’s going to respond. Then, “I’m fine.”

Buck barely stops himself from rolling his eyes. Under the rainbow balloon arch, Buck takes a selfie with Eddie, then Karen and Hen, Bobby and Athena, Maddie and Chimney. He realizes how lucky he is to have such accepting people in his life. That hadn’t always been the case for Buck.

“We were gonna go check some things out-” Bobby begins before being abruptly cut off.

“Wait, wait,” Buck shifts the bag that’s on his shoulder. “I almost forgot about these. I had shirts made for everyone.” Buck pulls out a stack of t-shirts from his bag. He motions to Hen and Karen who are wearing their own pride gear, “Well, except for Team Wilson over there.”

“Shirts, huh?” Chim asks as he slots his fingers with Maddie’s.

“Yeah, Ally shirts. I got everyone’s sizes from Cap, so they  _ should _ all fit.” He passes the shirts out before finally tossing one to Eddie.

There’s an unreadable expression on Eddie’s face and he hesitates as he looks at the shirt in his hand before he speaks. “I’m not wearing an Ally shirt.”

Buck’s face falls immediately. “ _ Eddie _ .” He isn’t sure what to say at first aside from the fact that he put a lot of effort into these shirts and the person that he wants to support him the most, isn’t. “Eddie, come on. Even  _ Athena _ is wearing one.” 

Eddie looks at Buck, confused. “I’m not wearing an ally shirt, Buck. I’m-I’m not an ally.” Buck swallows hard. He’s not going to throw a tantrum in the middle of the Pride parade, he’s not. But what the fuck crawled up Eddie’s ass and burrowed in there before he came out here today?

“So, what? You decided to join us all at the Pride parade and instead of being supportive you’re gonna wear your black hoodie and just — be  _ anti _ -Pride?”

“Buck, I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Bobby says.

Eddie rolls his eyes. “I’ve got this, Bobby.” 

_ He’s got this _ ?

Buck watches as Eddie grabs the edge of his hoodie before he moves to pull it over his head. He’s wearing a shirt with soft tones of pink, blue and purple. He’s never seen Eddie wear any of these colors before. If it’s not the colors on the shirt, then does being called an ally make Eddie uncomfortable? Why is he being so damn difficult wearing the shirt? “I’m not anti-pride, and I’m sure as hell not here to be unsupportive of you or anyone else for that matter. I’m just not-”

“You’re not what? If you’re here to be supportive, why won’t you just wear the shirt that I had made for you?” Buck’s brow knits together in confusion.

“Evan,” Maddie’s voice breaks through the noise, just enough that Buck can hear her. “Do the colors that Eddie’s wearing mean anything?”

“They’re the colors of the bi-flag, but it’s not like-” Buck starts and stops quickly, glancing at Maddie for a moment who seems to be nodding along, waiting for Buck to catch up. He turns to Eddie then, “You’re bi?”

“I thought that’s why you asked me to come with you in the first place.” Eddie laughs in disbelief.

“No, I asked you to come because this matters to me and you’re my best friend.”

This is too much. It’s all too much. How did he not see this? How had Buck just  _ not noticed _ that the man that’s supposed to be his best friend isn’t straight?

“Oh,” Eddie whispers, nodding his head slightly. Buck registers the slight flush to Eddie’s cheeks, and the realization hits him. Being out, letting everyone see Eddie like this isn’t easy for him. But he’s stripped off his hoodie, revealing himself, making himself vulnerable to the crowds around him — to the people  _ closest _ to him. He’s giving himself permission to just  _ be _ Eddie, however different that definition might be from what people usually assume. 

Even Buck.

Buck glances around, noticing that Maddie has rejoined Chimney with the rest of the group. He turns his attention back to Eddie. There are words on the tip of his tongue, words that he should probably never say. And yet he finds himself opening his mouth, warring against every voice in his head that is screaming at him to proceed with caution. “Well, now that I know, I can ask you out on a date.” Buck tries to keep his voice even, tries to keep the doubt hidden down deep, tries to pretend that he’s not terrified of Eddie shooting him down.

Eddie simply hums, and Buck opens his mouth to start with the apologies. Eddie shakes his head, bringing his finger to Buck’s lips to silence him. “Now that I know you’re interested, I can kiss you.”

Buck stands there, blinks as his brain once again tries to catch up. Eddie steps into his space and all muscle memory seems to be forgotten. Buck has to remind himself to swallow before he begins to choke. He feels the brush of Eddie’s hand against his face, thumb moving along his jawline. Buck’s hand drops to Eddie’s hip and he angles himself closer, eyes closing as he feels Eddie’s breath hot against his face, sending goosebumps dancing across his skin.

He’s not sure what he expects when Eddie’s lips brush against his, but it’s not the tenderness that he gets. The light brush of lips sends a fluttering from his stomach that blossoms in his chest. Buck’s lost in the notes of mint and citrus that he tastes, and he’s sure that it’s his new favorite flavor. Buck’s fingers curl gently into the nape of Eddie’s neck, teasing against the gentle skin there. Buck slowly withdraws and the noises from the parade bring him back to the realness of the moment; the realization that this isn’t Buck just thinking about kissing Eddie.

His blue eyes search Eddie’s hazel ones, and Buck’s heart floats when he sees the upturn of Eddie’s lips. The noise around them seems louder than before, and that’s when Buck realizes it.

It’s their family, cheering and whooping in the middle of Pride. And Buck couldn’t be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream at me or prompt me on Tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/myemergence)


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